Most people who carry aren’t 100% happy with their holster setup. They’re either currently shopping for options or they’re thinking about it. What if you created an event or opportunity that let people try different holsters or positions. Can you partner with a holster maker or a distributor to make it happen. Discounts on tried items? Try different guns in different positions as well? Maybe sell some extra guns?
Shopping for holsters is not fun. Worse than shopping for them, however, is deciding what holsters to carry in your store. It’s an unenviable task for even the most experienced store manager, with a sweet spot narrower than your mother-in-law’s approval of your marriage or youngest child’s acceptable behavior window.
Err on the side of running lean and you miss out on sales because you aren’t stocking what the customer is after. Too far the other way and you’re stuck carrying stock that’s been here since the Bush administration.
Why not tackle both sides of a problematic issue with one innovative event at your store?
The Problem
As much as we want to believe that our customer tries different gun and holster combinations, taking into account different carry positions, and then going and training deploying their gun from concealment from that carry location, we all know it isn’t happening.
A friend or relative suggests a gun, that is purchased, often without firing.
That same friend or relative, or another, suggests a holster maker and model that (hopefully) matches the gun that was purchased.
The gun and holster are married and an effort to carry is made. It goes horrifically for one reason or six and is abandoned or our new gun owner starts their very own “tub of misfit holsters,” a tradition of sidearm ownership like no other.
What ensues is a quest akin to a Tolkien saga, our new gun owner crossing shire and shadow in search of the one true holster to rule them all. More often than not, it is a journey that goes unresolved for as many days as they carry. They may find something that works in some form or fashion, but never rides quite like they want, or shifts more than they would like, or pinches that one love handle just often enough to remind them of that extra taco they talked themselves into.
Often this holster quest is undertaken alone. Slinking from one regretted purchase to the next, never happy with the end result.
This is exactly the holster quest we hope to resolve.
The Solution
A fitted suit coat, while maybe not a preferred daily dress, certainly helps a man cut an impressive profile. Anyone that’s had custom-fitted shoes knows how much of a difference they make.
Custom fitting is often an expensive and luxurious process that most don’t pursue, but there’s no reason for that to be the case when it comes to holsters. That’s why your shop should plan and hold at least one custom-holster-fitting event in the next year.
“Our sales team can and has supported just such events at the retail level,” said Mike Barham of Galco Holsters.
You don’t need to go at this event alone, and there’s good reasons for the holster makers to support you, in several different types of ways. Obviously, someone from the sales or customer support team being in attendance is ideal, but it isn’t the only solution.
For Galco, there are multiple reasons to attend.
“We get feedback we might not otherwise receive, and the customer can check out different styles to see what suits them,” Barham added. “The influx of new shooters we’ve had since 2020 has required a significant amount of education, but even old hands sometimes require some education on newer designs.”
That’s where your shop can set itself apart, by offering the customer a chance to put hands on designs or brands that are new to them, and maybe even introduce them to a new carry location.
Event Logistics
Obviously, there are some event logistics that have to be worked out.
Safety is the first thing to consider. If customers are coming in looking for new holster solutions, it is reasonable to assume they are going be bringing their EDC gun with them. That will require some very clearly defined and communicated rules around who, how, and when to handle the customer’s gun.
Ideally, you run a heavy staffing day with some employees working the floor as sort of holster concierges. As customers arrive, they are assigned to one specific employee that helps them with the entire process. The employee checks and clears the gun, making it safe to go between holsters and carry positions.
Either you determine that the customer can carry their gun themselves, provided it remains holstered until with a concierge, or you run a sort of gun check/coat check system where the gun is checked in, cleared, and set aside until a concierge is available to work through the fitting process with the customer.
Obviously, a significant hurdle is getting holster options. No matter how hard you plan or how thorough you are in planning, there will be a customer who shows up wanting to get a holster solution for a gun you’ve never seen before. Just accept this reality, and do your best to help that customer with the fitting process.
“Trent, how am I supposed to help a customer looking for a holster that I don’t have in stock?” Help them find a holster style, that goes with a gun similar to what they brought in. They can still explore options close enough to give them an idea of what they are after, likely more than ever before, and you can work on special ordering that piece for them when they make a selection.
Having a holster for every gun on hand isn’t necessary. Cover the most common bases, and you can find a stand-in for any crazy oddballs you may get. It’s still more effort than your customers have seen to this point, and probably more than they’ve tried themselves.
Upsell Potential
The event is there to sell holsters and give your customers a high-end experience with a personal touch. It’s also an incredible opportunity to provide your customers with the opportunity to find out what they don’t like about the gun they are currently carrying, and experiment with other options.
Someone who has been carrying the same gun in the same place for a decade may be looking for a change. They may be interested in moving to appendix carry, but the gun they’ve been carrying just isn’t suited to that position.
This event gives them a chance to try it out and maybe make a new decision about the gun they plan to carry.
There’s also a chance to find other issues with their carry configuration.
“We see a lot of people trying to carry with a skinny, soft, department-store belt,” Barham quipped, when asked about the biggest mistake people make with holster selections. “Someone will spend $1,000 on a pistol, optics and holster but never invest in a quality belt.”
This kind of event gives your employees a chance to serve as one-on-one consultants to your customers and evaluate every aspect of their carry system, helping them make the upgrades or decisions that can improve their carry experience.
Make It Happen
I’m not pretending that this is an easy event to manage. It won’t be. What it is is a chance to show your customers why you’re different and why you should be their number-one choice when they need gear.
Online sales are a challenge for everyone. More than ever, it falls to the retailer to prove that they are still of value. That has less to do with the products you stock and more to do with the information and expertise you can provide.
It’s those customer interactions that allow for upsells and create customers that come back time after time, rather than just make a purchase and disappear, never to be seen again.
Find a problem that your customer has and solve it for them. They aren’t short on possible holster options, they’re short on how to decide which option is right for them.
Start Conversations With Unconventional Options
Oh look, a wall of IWB Kydex holsters. How original. Sure, it’s the most popular way to carry, and for good reason. That doesn’t mean it’s the only way. The merit of a carry rotation can be debated another time, but the reality is people sometimes choose different guns to carry, or positions to carry in, because of season, attire or novelty. If you’re playing the hits, you’re missing the chance to make additional sales and spend time talking to customers about how and why they carry. Add these to the wall and see if they get any attention.
Galco Holsters Stow-N-Go
You don’t generally think of a leather holster as an option for IWB appendix carry, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a viable solution. Leather is just more comfortable than Kydex — that isn’t up for debate — and the Stow-N-Go uses a reinforced mouth to make reholstering safe and easy. The neutral cant and high ride height means it can go anywhere from appendix to strong-side hip. It’s available for a wide variety of handguns, many of which are optics compatible, and with more than 500,000 sold, there’s clearly demand. MSRP - $49; www.galcogunleather.com
DeSantis Apache Ankle Rig
I’m always surprised by the number of people I talk to that carry a backup gun. It’s not the majority, but it’s decidedly more than zero. A lot of the people I talk to lean on a micro-compact in a pocket-carry configuration for such things, but don’t overlook the ankle holster. Small semiauto pistols, or more often revolvers, on the ankle have been a hard-scrabble detective trope for a while, but there’s generally a reason for stereotypes. It’s worth bringing a few in for people to look at and ponder, anyway. MSRP - $89; www.desantisholster.com
Falco D901 Hybrid Roto Shoulder Holster (w/ double mag pouch)
We’ll just lean into the detective vibe we started with the DeSantis when we talk about the Falco D901. I love my Falco shoulder holster. When summer heat finally gives way to cool fall weather and layers become the fashion of the day, getting the gun off my hip and into a shoulder setup is a welcomed change of pace. Sure, they require some extra work to get a good draw stroke, but especially for people who spend a lot of time in and out of vehicles, getting the gun off the waist and into the arm pocket makes a lot of sense. When I have a day of driving ahead of me, it’s the only way I want to carry. The double mag pouch is handy too, not just because it makes it easy to carry a couple reloads, but also because it helps balance the rig overall on your body. MSRP - $319; www.falcoholsters.com
Urban Carry Can Can Concealment Classic Hip Hugger
Women face additional wardrobe challenges when it comes to concealed carry, and many aren’t willing or able to comfortably wear a strong-side IWB holster. The Can Can Concealment Classic Hip Hugger from Urban Carry Holsters is a belly-band-style solution designed with women in mind. A silicone lining keeps the band from shifting around during the day, and magnetic weapon retention keeps the gun locked in place. Your customers can carry up to four compact or subcompact firearms and three magazines in this band, anywhere on their waist — left, right, kidney, or appendix. The front closure tapers to contour to the female shape and to fit easily under most outfits. MSRP - $79.95; www.urbancarryholsters.com
